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| (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
Around corners, the Rio's little 14-inch rims and tires grip the road well, but the body has a tendency to wallow sideways, which isn't very confidence inspiring. You'll need to get used to the cars handling before making any sudden maneuvers- there is a decent level of grip, it's just not delivered very gracefully. Obviously, the suspension is not set up for performance, but rather comfort, which it achieves well. Kia offers lowering springs as an option which I would recommend if you like twisty roads. The steering is very light but reasonably sharp, and for the price, the ride quality is really very good. Only the largest of bumps upsets the Rio's pleasant attitude while cruising along.
I don't like antilock brakes, so I wasn't expecting to like the ones on the Rio. I'd already driven a pair of roughly $25,000 cars this year, both of which braked well without ABS so I didn't figure the system on a car for ten grand cheaper would be particularly good. I was wrong though, the ABS action only kicks in right at lockup and doesn't overreact to your pedal inputs. If you are a fan of ABS, this is the way it should be set up- leaving most of the work to the driver. Total stopping power was more than adequate, and the chassis remained focused while stopping and cornering hard.
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All in all it has been a challenge to sort this car out- the Rio drives along, but not in a hurry. It handles, but not very sportingly. It rides very nicely, has comfortable seats, and it stops properly but it doesn't turn peoples heads or do anything particularly interesting. It does have a decent list of standard features, a terrific warranty, and treats the environment and your wallet with the utmost respect. Above all this, it really isn't a cheap car. It feels solid and tight, maybe even tough behind its cute fascia. I think the best way to get across what this car really is all about is to imagine you're still in high school, and all the cool kids have cars, and you aren't one of them (I wasn't). This was a time in your life when a car was nothing more than a means to be mobile, to be free and to escape, nothing else. If you still value these things, and only these things from a car, then this is likely the best $12,000 will get you.
